Executive Director, State Government Affairs East

Merck & Co.; North Wales (Montgomery County); Hybrid; USD 256,000 - 403,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote flexibility

Annual bonus and long-term incentive

401(k) retirement plan

Medical, dental, vision benefits

Job summary

Merck & Co. is seeking an Executive Director State Government Affairs to lead a team of 6-7 Directors for the western half of the U.S., covering about 25 states. You will direct policy engagement with state legislatures, regulators, and executive branches to support access to medicines and vaccines.

The role requires strong leadership, policy development experience, and the ability to align state priorities with business objectives. Remote flexibility is available with travel across the U.S.

Qualifications

• BS/BA required.
• 10+ years in state government affairs and policy.
• Experience addressing policy issues affecting the bio-pharmaceutical industry.
• Experience managing and leading teams, including employee development.
• Demonstrated experience engaging executive level leaders.
• Strong experience with internal and external stakeholder engagement.
• Knowledge of state legislative policy-making process.
• Experience in analyzing state legislation.
• Strong writing and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Direct and manage team's work on state legislative and policy issues to support all U.S. Divisions and operations, including human health and animal health.
• Manage the activities of the individual Directors in the West region on their interactions with state and local officials.
• Lead execution of region strategy to mitigate legislative policy risks that would limit access to our products and support proactive policy to maintain a competitive market for innovative biopharmaceuticals.
• Manage the team's engagement with a broad group of stakeholders in the legislative and executive branches of government, key state agencies, and business, trade, and health policy associations.
• As part of leadership team identify, analyze, and develop Company's response to legislative policy issues impacting strategic business priorities
• Serve as lead for assigned policy priorities for products, above-brand issues, department operations, and resource development; and manage team assignments.
• Serve as point to external stakeholder legislative, policy and business groups to ensure alignment on policy positions.
• Work cross-divisionally with franchise, policy, and subject matter experts to align on policy priorities and strategy.
• Support and guide the individual professional development and growth of team members.
• Manage contractual and operational resources for the western region, including political contributions, contract counsel, and policy grant oversight.
• Ensure state advocacy on behalf of the company in the region is conducted in compliance with company policy and all state and federal laws.

Skills

Financial Research

Healthcare Policies

Health Technology Assessment (HTA)

International Engagements

Legislative Relations

Market Access

People Leadership

Pharmaceutical Industry

Policy Development

Political Forums

Program Management

Relationship Building

Stakeholder Coordination

Strategic Planning

Education

BS/BA required

Job description

Job Description

Our U.S. State Government Affairs & Policy team collaborates with state, local and national levels of government across the U.S. We address legislative and regulatory issues that promote and protect the discovery of innovative medicine, vaccines and animal health products while improving and protecting patient access to care.

The Executive Director State Government Affairs leads a team of 6-7 state Government Affairs Directors for the western half of the U.S. covering approximately a 25-state region. The team represents the company in its interactions with Executive, Legislative and Regulatory bodies of state and local governments.

Responsibilities

• Direct and manage team's work on state legislative and policy issues to support all U.S. Divisions and operations, including human health and animal health.
• Manage the activities of the individual Directors in the West region on their interactions with state and local officials.
• Lead execution of region strategy to mitigate legislative policy risks that would limit access to our products and support proactive policy to maintain a competitive market for innovative biopharmaceuticals.
• Manage the team's engagement with a broad group of stakeholders in the legislative and executive branches of government, key state agencies, and business, trade, and health policy associations.
• As part of leadership team identify, analyze, and develop Company's response to legislative policy issues impacting strategic business priorities
• Serve as lead for assigned policy priorities for products, above-brand issues, department operations, and resource development; and manage team assignments.
• Serve as point to external stakeholder legislative, policy and business groups to ensure alignment on policy positions.
• Work cross-divisionally with franchise, policy, and subject matter experts to align on policy priorities and strategy.
• Support and guide the individual professional development and growth of team members.
• Manage contractual and operational resources for the western region, including political contributions, contract counsel, and policy grant oversight.
• Ensure state advocacy on behalf of the company in the region is conducted in compliance with company policy and all state and federal laws.

Position Qualifications

Location

• Site based (Upper Gwynedd; North Wales, PA). Offers remote flexibility with travel to multiple sites.
• 50% Travel (Across U.S. and routine to Washington, DC).

Education Minimum Requirement

• BS/BA required.

Required Experience

• Minimum 10 years-experience in state government affairs and policy.
• Experience developing legislative policy priorities aligned with business priorities.
• Experience addressing policy issues affecting the bio-pharmaceutical industry.
• Experience managing and leading teams, including employee development.
• Demonstrated experience engaging executive level leaders.
• Strong experience with internal and external stakeholder engagement.
• Knowledge of state legislative policy-making process.
• Experience in analyzing state legislation.
• Strong writing and presentation skills.

Required Skills

Financial Research, Healthcare Policies, Health Technology Assessment (HTA), International Engagements, Legislative Relations, Market Access, People Leadership, Pharmaceutical Industry, Policy Development, Political Forums, Program Management, Relationship Building, Stakeholder Coordination, Strategic Planning

Employee Status

Regular

Flexible Work Arrangements

Remote

The primary location for this posting is:

USA - Pennsylvania - North Wales (Upper Gwynedd)

Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.

The salary range for the primary location of this role is:

$255,800.00 - $402,700.00

This range reflects the Company's reasonable expectation of the base salary applicable to this role at the time of posting. An employee's position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs. The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits .

Additional location(s)

Please note the salary range above applies to the Primary Location of the position. Where a role has other listed locations, different compensation guidelines may apply. You may find the salary ranges for additional locations below. If the salary range is not listed for the location you are applying to, our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you relevant to your location.

San Francisco Residents Only

-We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only

-We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

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